Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Analyst makes eye-opening claim while calling out Anthony Davis, praising Nikola Jokic

By Jeff Smith | Last updated 5/26/23

Nikola Jokic has stolen the hearts of NBA fans (for the most part) who love massive stat lines and big-man triple-doubles. It seems we can now add former NBA center and current analyst Kendrick Perkins to that list.

Perkins took a unique route, one that's candidly almost never heard, in his efforts to praise Jokic. He also fired a jab at Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis in the process shortly after Jokic's Denver Nuggets swept the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

On ESPN's NBA Today, Perkins said Davis needs to look himself in the mirror and ask himself "who he wants to be." Perkins then proceeded to make a Jokic-Davis comment which turned a few heads.

"I'm talking about Anthony Davis looking himself in the mirror and asking himself who he wants to be ... or should we just accept this is who he's gonna be? ... [Nikola] Jokic, and this is no disrespect, this is a lot of credit to Jokic, is in better shape than Anthony Davis."

The last thing I have to say about the Lakers!!! It’s time for AD to stop having these lazy ass off seasons and actually put that WORK in this Summer! Carry the hell on… pic.twitter.com/KYArn0di2x
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) May 23, 2023

While there should be nothing but praise going in the direction of the two-time MVP, Perkins took the "hot take" approach to a different level here, specifically due to the fact that Davis is such an athletic player for a big man.

With that said, if the debate over who's in better shape is highlighted by games missed or consistency on a season-by-season basis, Jokic would get the nod there. Jokic has played in at least 69 games in each of his eight NBA seasons. As for Davis, he's played in at least 69 regular-season games just twice in his 11 NBA seasons. Going one step further, Davis has played in 36, 40, and 56 games over the past three seasons with the Lakers.

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